MarkeTeam’s work for the Foundation of Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU was honored at the 2023 MAXI Awards. We’re always flattered to be recognized and are even more excited by the strong connection this campaign made with donors.
BACKGROUND:
Children’s Hospital Foundation supports the programs and mission of the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. MarkeTeam partners with the Foundation to cultivate giving among a strong base of loyal supporters and the community. This outreach campaign was intended to reinforce the donor relationship with the Foundation and the hospital by extending a chance to become personally involved. The campaign has been successfully deployed in years past, but was revised slightly this year to optimize participation and giving.
STRATEGIC APPROACH:
The goal of this email campaign was to engage recipients by requesting and collecting children’s artwork that would be used to help raise funds in support for the hospital. In turn, the artwork would be used in direct mail fundraising packages as well as future email campaigns.
The initial email deploy date was moved up from July to April when more families might be at home instead of on vacation. A follow-up reminder email deployed later in May. This allowed for a longer lead time before the deadline for the submission of artwork.
The emails consisted of a catchy subject line and a photo of a child, making a clear and easy connection between the topic of children’s artwork and the action desired from the reader. Each email included a call to action on why artwork was needed and a location to submit. The landing page included an artwork submission form and an opt-in to receive mailings. The 2022 creative also included a new donation appeal on the landing page, which proved a worthy addition.
PROGRAM IMPACT:
The results met and exceeded goals and expectations!
- We received 83 artwork submissions, a 292% increase over the previous year!
- While not the primary goal of the campaign, $180 was realized by adding the optional donation form.
The artwork was then used in a direct mail fundraising package that included notecards that featured art from children in the community. The direct mail packages were mailed to donors as well as acquisition prospects. We also used more of the images for a New Year’s engagement email thanking readers for their support.
